Man accused of raping his ex

A Central Criminal Court jury will begin its deliberations later today in the trial of a man accused of the harassment, assault and rape of his ex-girlfriend.

The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, has pleaded not guilty to harassing the woman on dates between November and December 2009; assaulting her, stealing two mobile phones from her and raping her on December 18, 2009.

He has also pleaded not guilty to assaulting the woman and raping her on December 19, 2009.

The trial continues.

Powerful CCTV goes on trial

Surveillance systems almost 50 times more powerful than traditional CCTV are being trialled around the country.

The high-definition security cameras have already been installed by local authorities and service stations, while the Aviva stadium and an airport have also tried them out.

Paul Hennessy, managing director of Northwood Technology, said: "One can do the same job that 48 conventional analogue cameras can do."

Breakfast cuts lead poisoning

Eating a regular breakfast may reduce the risk of lead poisoning in children, research has shown.

A study in China found that blood levels of lead were 15pc lower in those who did not skip breakfast.

Scientists collected blood samples from 1,344 children aged three to five and tested them for lead, iron, copper, zinc, calcium and magnesium.

Lead poisoning, defined as a blood lead level of 10 micrograms or higher, was identified in 8pc of children with a regular breakfast habit and 10pc of breakfast-skipping children.

Previous studies have shown that an empty stomach increases the body's absorption of lead.

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